Vindicated
by Secluded Sapphire
Summary: He was wrong...but in his heart was he was right... One-Shot- TeaxSeto -Reviews Welcome- Happy Holidays!


**Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh or this song.**

I just wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, and since it is the time to give, I thought I'd give all you wonderful a story. I love this song, ever since I heard it on the Spiderman 2 soundtrack, a story came into my head which I just had to write down. I hope you all enjoy this!!

_**Vindicated  
**He was wrong…but in his heart he was right…_

-II-

_Hope dangles on a string _

_Like slow spinning redemption_

_Winding in and winding out_

_The shine of it has caught my eye _

The fire became ablaze, cracking, spearing through the defenceless wood pieces. The flames danced around the room, mocking me, ridiculing me, at the fact that I was alone and without anyone. But hadn't I always been that way?

My eyes scanned the room, as I struggled to take my mind off her. Why should I be so caught up in one girl? I have the entire city of Domino wrapped around my finger. But why stop there? Any girl in the world would wage war just to be inches near me. I am Seto Kaiba after all. But then why did I want someone like her?

_And roped me in_

_So mesmerizing, so hypnotizing_

_I am captivated, I am…_

Rapt in her cerulean eyes, full of such hope and faith, such a contradiction to my eyes. Death, soulless, bitter were just a few words to describe how I was and what I will always be. But she, her body movements portrayed what she really was, alone. Just like me. Her dance was over-whelmed with a passion of salvation and contempt, but not the hate that I felt, not the one of revulsion for life and everything intertwined with it, no. She felt the loathe of an unidentified person, no one knew what she was, only what she acted like. I am…

_Vindicated_

_I am selfish_

_I am wrong_

_I am right_

_I swear I'm right_

_I swear I knew it all along_

_And I am flawed_

_But I am cleaning up so well_

_I am seeing in me now the things you swore you saw yourself _

Change.

Decreasing in the heat rapidly, I took my eyes off the blaze. What aloof, arctic eyes I had, turning everything into frost as soon as my gaze fell upon it. But then why did she accept me? Not anymore did she.

I had changed so much for Tea Gardener, couldn't she see that? For this weakling, for someone who could bring me down any moment. I let all my principles go and followed hers, and now where am I? Solitary within the hallways, of corridors of rooms in my estate.

I had transformed into a different person for her, but I still managed to hurt her, how? I knew how. She is such a sensitive girl, even to the slightest of things. Taking things from her, teasing her, but those were all just for fun. What had happened didn't have any sign of fun. If there was anything that stood out among Tea, it was her friends, she had such reliance and trust within them, she was dependant upon them for moral support. And if there was anything that stood out about me was my disgust for that filthy canine, Wheeler.

He had pushed all the wrong buttons, I continued to endure all the jeering he did about me only wanting Tea for her body, only for my personal interest. I took it, for the first time I took shit in and didn't spit anything out. But this afternoon had been the end of my patience, even Yugi had known that Wheeler had gone too far when he said I would leave Tea like a smutty whore, after she was used and abused. That had been my breaking point.

Just as Tea stepped out of the school building, my fist collided with his cheek. A sickening snap echoed through the empty schoolyard. Blood gushed through his injury as he fell to the ground, crying out in pain. Everyone ran to his side, leaving me abandoned, even Tea.

Hatred burning through her, tears flowed from her revolted azure eyes, as she stared up at me.

**_"You really have no heart Seto Kaiba! None at all!"_**

That was when I realized I could never be what she wanted me to be, it was…

_So clear_

_Like the diamond in your ring_

_Cut to mirror your intention_

_Oversized and overwhelmed_

_The shine of which has caught my eye_

_And rendered me_

_So isolated, so motivated_

_I am certain now that I am_

Completely deserted.

I grabbed my long cobalt trench coat and stepped into the heavily snowy atmosphere of Domino. As soon as my foot had moved to the outside, I was drenched head to toe. My cinnamon hair clasped upon the pasty white complexion of my skin. The cold hadn't touched me yet, in the darkness of me insides were much more resentful than this.

Christmas Eve. The time to celebrate the birth of holy Jesus. A time of joyous occasion, to be among family and friends. I on the other hand watched as all of it occurred around me; last minute shoppers bustling around through the boutiques, bright Christmas lights and wreathes hung over lamp posts.

I looked down at a little boy who had a goofy smile on his face. So familiar to...?

Wheeler.

Instantly the thought of him and Tea followed.

The little boy held up a candy cane, beaming, saying he had lots to share and Santa Claus was sure to bring more. I smirked, nearly choking on the laughter within me, looking down at the little boy, I had a malicious smile upon my face. Whispering to him that there was no Santa Claus.

Escaping by a thin hair from his mother, I could still hear the loud sobs of tears from the little boy as his mother consoled him.

Continually walking down the streets, I let my hand go to my pocket, I felt the frosty metal of the sapphire ring I had given her. The one she threw back at me with hatred and disgust.

Who knew where I would end up, I just wanted to flit away from everything, finish up somewhere, where no one knew who I was or how I was. I knew what I was and I am…

_Vindicated_

_I am selfish_

_I am wrong_

_I am right_

_I swear I'm right_

_I swear I knew it all along_

_And I am flawed_

_But I am cleaning up so well_

_I am seeing in me now the things you swore you saw yourself_

Light.

The concealed piece of radiance from my soul was what she saw and what she desired more of, she wanted the happiness that everyone wanted. She wanted the satisfaction that she had changed the stone to a jewel.

Why did I follow her?

I wanted what I thought was best for me. Her smile.

_So turn_

_Up the corners of your lips_

_Part them and feel my fingertips_

_Trace the moment, fall forever_

Through the ice cold, seductive waters. My ventures had brought me to the stone bridge that over looked the frosty river.

I knew from this moment one I would never see her smile, hear her melodious voice. My lips would never touch hers, but how else could everything be set right again? I wanted something else and she wanted something from me she could never get. Love.

There wasn't enough feeling in my dead corpse to give her such an emotion, she wanted something I couldn't even give my brother for all these years.

I looked down into the waters, assuring myself what I was doing was not an option but a necessity. Both my hands seized the mineral, but another hand clutched my shoulder. I turned only to meet the cool eyes of Tea.

_Defence is paper thin_

_Just one touch and I'll be in_

_Too deep now to ever swim against the current_

_So let me slip away_

_So let me slip away_

_So let me slip away_

_So let me slip against the current_

"Why?" Her voice was hoarse, her eyes were bright scarlet as she shivered underneath the droplets of vile ice.

She shook her head over and over again at me, her hand still grasping my shoulder and began to quiver as tears from her eyes emerged.

My fingerssecurely grasped the cool material of the stone bridge, turning my knuckles a pale ashen colour, I couldn't fight the urge, it was much to strong, me hurting her was killing me inside and I had no idea why.

_So let me slip away_

_So let me slip away_

_So let me slip away_

_So let me slip away_

She shook her head at me still, small tears fell from the corners of her eyes as she buried herself within me. She wanted shelter in the bounds of my heart, she wanted something that someone like me could never give her.

Her tear droplets stirred something, pulling something from inside me, she felt so warm against me, reviving a feeling. She brought me back love, a weakness I attempted to hide within the dark abyss of my bitter soul.

_Vindicated_

_I am selfish_

_I am wrong_

_I am right_

_I swear I'm right_

_I swear I knew it all along_

_And I am flawed_

_But I am cleaning up so well_

_I am seeing in me now the things you swore you saw yourself_

The moonlight swept across us, she continued to hold onto me, strongly, not wanting to lose me. I stood, unsure of how react to her affection, how could she forgive someone like me? My arms, gradually rose over her petite and held her closely.

Slowly, pulling her away I smiled at her, she smiled back. Pulling out her ring, I let it slide against her slender finger, hoping she would never take it off. Minutes passed and she just stared at the ring, tears still flowing from her cheery, azure orbs. Again, taking me within her embrace, she cried again, tears of happiness.

_My hope_

_Dangles on a string_

_Like slow spinning redemption..._


End file.
